Beneath Hill 60 is a war drama set during World War I when an inexperienced group of Australian mining engineers is sent behind German lines to defend a leaking tunnel system. Jucy tells the story of Jackie and Lucy, two high school misfits who have trouble breaking free of their adolescent misadventures. John Hurt stars in Lou, the story of an 11-year-old girl, the daughter of a working-class single mother, who finds her life turned upside down when her Alzheimer’s afflicted grandfather moves in. Saved tells the complex and international story of a woman who becomes the advocate for an Iranian detainee and becomes attracted to him, which threatens her marriage. The Loved Ones gives an Australian twist to such American high school films as Carrie and the Scream series. The high school prom excites passions that run just as deep Down Under as in the US. The three documentaries promise to be just as entertaining as the feature films. Not Quite Hollywood: The Wild, Untold Story of Ozploitation! is a look at the Australian genre films that became popular around the world in the 1970s and ’80s. In 1971, the censorship rules were loosened and filmmakers had greater freedom than ever. Australian filmmakers made arthouse classics like Picnic at Hanging Rock and My Brilliant Career, but there were all kinds of thrillers and action films made, such as the Mad Max movies (starring a young Mel Gibson). Contact looks at an Aborigine woman who was 17 in 1964 when she and her family, who had been living in the Great Sandy Desert, met white men for the first time. Now in her 60s, the woman recalls her first, frightening contact with whites, who forcibly removed these nomads from their home. Mrs. Carey’s Concert is about a teacher who believes in the transformative power of classical music and prepares her reluctant students for a concert at the opera house. You can learn more about the festival on the AICE website at or on the Jerusalem, Haifa and Tel Aviv cinematheque websites.

The filmmaking wizards of Oz

The Australian filmfest opens on June 6 at a cinematheque near you.